Looks Can be Decieving
by dark0angel13
Summary: Team 7 has heard that they will be getting a new teammate but will they accept this teammate or push them away. Emotions will run high, tempers will flair, and a bloody secret will make its appearance to these young shinobi. Will they be able to handle this new person or will conflict tear them apart? after all looks can be deceiving. Rated M for reason.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so this is a very important story I have been working on I have recently rewritten it and am hoping things go great with it. I love Naruto and writing and I hope you all enjoy this little adventure of mine. Please review! The more reviews the more I will add of the story. I want to know what you guys think of it! Tell me if you think I should fix something or if you wish me to continue :D **

**As always I must include the disclaimer…..**

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! I wish I did but that is solely for Kishimoto. . **

**Well…onto the story!**

**Chapter 1**

This was it, the day I met my new teammates. I wasn't particularly worried about it, but my muscles were tense none the less. I didn't know why I was so tense, but I did a lot of things without knowing why, so was there a reason that today should today be any different?

I stood before the Hokage, a woman with two long blonde pig tails and enormous boobs, who looked a lot older than what she actually was; her coffee colored eyes contrasted drastically with her green robe. Tsunade was her name.

To her left was an ex-ANBU operative who would now be my sensei. His dishelved looking spiky white hair went well with the blue mask he wore over most of his face. More surprising was that it was his natural hair color for a man that looked no older than twenty-eight. He wore his forehead protector over his left eye and had on the usual jounin attire: a blue sweat suit, the green shinobi vest with the village's symbol on it, and his ninja gear. The only flaw with this man was the fact that he was addicted to porn. His name, Kakashi Hatake.

The three files I was ordered to read were of my teammates and part of me dreaded all the boring stuff and wanted to get right down to meeting them face to face but it was always better to be prepared for what I might walk into. So with a sigh I opened the first folder. Naruto Uzumaki was his name, yet his file was on the thin side. He was seventeen years old and had blonde hair and blue eyes. His family history was blacked out and his past was pretty much non-existent. He was the nine-tailed jinchuriki and seemed to have a problem making friends. Attitude was over the top happy and his demeanor came off as proud which struck me as odd seeing as he was trusted by almost no one in his village. It seemed the Kyuubi didn't hinder his hope for a normal life. As for his shinobi skills, I had definitely seen better. His ninjutsu and taijutsu were average but his genjutsu was poor at best. He lived on his own and failed the chunin exam three times before finally passing with an acceptable score. And he wanted to be Hokage? I almost laughed at the comment written. No one this pathetic could ever become Hokage.

He seemed to be experienced when it came to missions, having been on over one hundred D-Rank, fifty-seven C-Rank, seventeen B-Rank, and four A-rank. Other than that his file didn't seem to hold any valuable information so I moved on to the next.

Sakura Haruno was the next in line and her file had just as little in it as the first one I read. She was eighteen years old and had, what was that? Pink hair? I paused and looked at her photo, not wanting to believe that someone like that could have a natural hair color that strange. Sure enough her photo revealed a pale girl with pastel pink hair and jade green eyes. I inwardly laughed at the misfortune this girl must go through on a daily basis and continued on. She was a specialized medic-nin and above exceptional at chakra control. Her parents were ordinary, the father a retired chunin and the mother a civilian. She passed the chunin exam on the second try and seemed to be at the top of her class in almost everything. Her ninjutsu and taijutsu were average but her genjutsu is what made me nod in approval. Above average was very hard to achieve but then again, someone with extraordinary chakra control would not seem to have a problem with it.

She was low on missions seeing as most of her time was spent in the hospital healing patients. Only having seventy-nine D-Rank, sixty-eight C-Rank, thirteen B-Rank, and two A-Rank, it was a wonder her ninjutsu and taijutsu were lacking. She had almost no opportunities to train. Once finished reading that one I was on to the final shinobi.

Sasuke Uchiha was his name and confidentiality appeared to be his game, with almost no information on him. He was eighteen years old and had black hair and black eyes. His family history was blacked out just like Naruto's aside from a comment here and there. I paused for a moment when I read that his clan had been wiped out, leaving him the sole survivor. It was sad to read but in the shinobi world nothing and no one was safe. Surprisingly enough he possessed a keke-genkai. My eyebrows rose at the mention of sharingan blood line trait and part of me was interested in seeing how far he had come with it. He passed the chunin exam on his first attempt and excelled in most of his shinobi areas. His ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu were above average, signaling a protégé in the making.

His missions were impressive having over one hundred D and C-Rank, twenty-five B-Rank, and ten A-Rank. It seemed he was well rounded as a shinobi and certainly the one most likely to join ANBU. I was closing the file when I noticed one last thing written at the bottom of the page and my blood ran cold. He had the curse mark, just like I did. How he received it was obvious but I was curious as to the when and why. Surely I would have to inquire about it to Tsunade when the time was right. Until then however, it would have to wait.

Kakashi's voice brought me from my thoughts and I raised my head to look at him, closing the file in the process. "Well, I'm going to go prepare them for the meeting. Lady Tsunade will tell you when to join me." he smiled through his mask and disappeared in a _puff_ of smoke,

"These files don't hold much information on them but I think I'll put up with these three just fine." I said, breaking the silence as I handed her back the folders.

She nodded and said, "You know what your mission is right?"

"To watch over and get them through the jounin exams. I am to blend in as another chunin and bring little to no attention to myself." I replied almost robotically as I stood at the position of attention.

"Good, but you're forgetting a few things." She smirked signaling me to at ease.

"And what are these few things?" I retorted, my voice full of sarcasm.

"To keep your chakra levels as low as possible, to watch your temper," she paused as she walked up to me, her eyes serious, "And to have fun, like your mother would have wanted you to do." she smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. I had to remember that my mother was also her best friend, and that I didn't have to suffer through her death alone.

I nodded and she turned to look out the window, her hands clasped behind her back. "If anything goes wrong, Kakashi is there and he can easily summon my assistance. Be careful and remember that these shinobi are chunin, not ANBU. You are to treat them like chunin, no matter how childish or mature they may seem." She said, never taking her eyes from the window.

"Yes ma'am." was all I replied.

"Dismissed."

I nodded and disappeared in a _puff_ of black smoke.

I followed Kakashi's chakra signature, and appeared next to him in a class room. There, I came face to face with the people I would, from this day forward, call my teammates. I automatically matched each with the profile I had read and wondered how any of them had even made genin. It was almost pitiful how each looked relaxed and staring through me as if off into space. Apparently I didn't deserve their concentration and that bugged me. These three didn't even look old enough to be called chunin and they certainly didn't look strong enough. Then again, looks can be deceiving. I looked from person to person, noting everything my eyes saw. Naruto was dressed in an orange jump suit, his blonde hair messy as his forehead protector tried to hold the unruly strands in place. His shoes were blue witch did not match his outfit what so ever, and I began to conclude he was not the brightest bulb in this room.

Standing to his right was Sakura, her posture slightly tensed as she looked at me. She wore a red tank top, a tan skirt that went to about mid-thigh and black spandex shorts underneath. Immediately her outfit said she was very insecure about herself. Why else would she wear something so tight fitting and revealing? Clearly this particular kunoichi had no experience in the art of seduction. She gave off the impression of shy and timid which made me think that most of her training had to be in medicine and not manipulation. Then again, some girls could do it and some just didn't have what it took. This girl was clearly the latter.

Both shinobi so far were pretty much what I expected, simple and easy to pick out in a crowd. What I didn't expect was when I looked at Sasuke and I almost had to do a double take.

He stood to Sakura's right, leaving her in the middle between the two males. His stance was relaxed and his expression uncaring. His hair was spiked at the back, sleek in the front, and made his pale skin almost shine. He was indeed very handsome. His outfit consisted of a black shirt that fit his slender form like a second skin, showing off the muscles in his arms and abdomen; tan cargo shorts that rested on his hips and defined strong thighs and lean, toned calves. He was clearly someone who thought high of himself if the air about him was anything to go by. His stance read confidence and his eyes screamed arrogance. No doubt about it that this shinobi was always catching the attention of the women. His smirk at my observing him only proved my point.

Not ten seconds had passed as I noted all of this, when Kakashi spoke, "Guys, this is your new teammate, Shiori Kimasawa." He stepped to the side to give me the entire center of the room as he gave each one of them a chance to stare at me. Naruto smiled, his eyes looking me up and down almost as if in approval. Sakura nodded and offered a small smile before her posture tensed. It seemed I posed a threat to her in some way and the mere thought of that had me holding back a laugh. Sasuke just gave me a once over and looked back to Kakashi.

He then stepped forward before saying, "Well, we know two things about you already." Spoke Sasuke, giving me another once over. I crossed my arms under my breasts and met his gaze, interested to find out what he had to say.

"And what might those two things be?" I retorted, unable to keep steel from my voice and the smirk off my face.

He mirrored both my smirk and my movements, "One, your shuriken holster is on your left leg, signaling your left handed. And second…" he paused as his eyes roamed my attire which consisted of a dark blue shirt, black cargo pants with blue detail, and black shoes. I had a jacket as well but left it with the Godaime, figuring I wouldn't need it for this.

"Your favorite colors are black and blue." He finished, his eyes never leaving me and his tone matter-of-fact.

My smirk widened, "Wow, glad to see you figured that out on your own. You aren't as dumb as you look." I responded, sarcasm evident in my tones as I inwardly laughed.

His eyes narrowed and a scowl appeared on his face as the girl decided it was her turn to speak. "You don't look like a chunin. Where is your vest?" her eyes shown a curiosity only she knew.

"Yeah and how come we never heard of you before now!" yelled the blonde, getting in my face, which up close, he wasn't that bad looking. I was almost certain he meant nothing by it, but his tone and his sudden closeness had the hair on the back of my neck rising with anything but comfort.

I simply smiled and said, "I could ask you the same question Sakura. It is simply a choice not to show my advancement. People will know my strength sooner or later. Plus none of you guys are wearing it either, so is it really fair to ask me that when you yourself are lacking said vest?" I flashed her a smile, knowing full well my canines were as sharp as knives. Yet another trait I inherited from my father. Her eyes widened slightly, as the boy in front of me grabbed hold of my shirt, determined to make his presence more known than it already was.

Bad idea.

"What you think you can just stand there and ignore me!? I asked you a question and I would like an answer. It's rude to act like I'm not here, especially since you're looking at the next Hokage!" Naruto yelled, letting his guard down because his pride got in the way. I guess seeing as I was a girl and smaller than he was, I didn't come off as intimidating. Pity, but easily fixable.

I let out a long, stressed breath and looked him in the eye, "You're not Hokage yet so why should I acknowledge your existence when you grab me and start yelling when you only met me moments before and didn't give me the time to answer you. It is also rude to interrupt someone while they're talking and even ruder still, is to touch them in a threatening way. That is very disrespectful and I assure you that you will learn to respect me." I stopped to grab his wrist and yank it free of my shirt, pushing him away from my personal space in the process.

The look in his eyes read shock as my strength clearly took him by surprise. It appeared he did not expect a girl like me to be able to do that; another mistake on his part. Shinobi are adept at the art of deceiving and even a moron like him should know that.

"Being Hokage means knowing when to make the wisest decision; judging by your outburst, you're very immature and have a long way to go." I said curtly, not wanting to sugarcoat anything for him because I felt if I did it would only confuse him further. "Why should I take notice to you when you're just another chunin who doesn't quite understand what it means to be Hokage?" I finished my voice matter-of-fact as I crossed my arms again.

The look on his face immediately read sorrow and disappointment, but after a moment of staring at me his eyes grew hotter with anger. Sasuke and Sakura stepped up beside him as if in comfort before the Uchiha spoke, "She has a point dobe, why did you make an idiot out of yourself? You should have kept your mouth shut and your hands to yourself and maybe you wouldn't have gotten your feelings hurt."

"We're sorry for any aggravation he may have caused," The pinkett said trying her best to wear a smile and keep the blonde in a headlock at the same time, "He really hasn't had the chance to grow up fully, nor did he expect you to come back so…strong willed. I think you threw him off guard with that one. I hope you don't take anything personal Shiori; we look forward to getting to know you better." She made it a point to bow, forcing Naruto down with her, but at the last second he pushed free from her grip, disappointment evident on his face as he looked at both his teammates.

"So you're just going to let her insult me? Some friends you guys are! She may be our teammate but if she is going to act like this then why bother? I'd rather have Sai back." He shouted throwing his hand up in the air animatedly as he let out his frustration. Clearly common sense was lacking in this one.

Sasuke sighed and responded before Sakura could, his tone bored. "Yes you idiot because you started it first. She was talking and you grabbed her by the shirt because you were too impatient to simply wait for her to get to you. So naturally she responded with the same snarky tone as you and now we all have to deal with it." He looked at me for the last part of his sentence and I got the sneaking suspicion he was insulting me as well.

I huffed and turned to Kakashi who had managed to stay out of it thus far. He was reading his book in the corner, clearly not wanting to be a part of any of this. Well tough noodles. "Kakashi you're not serious about these three are you? The girl is smart and seems to be reasonable but the other two have to be the rudest shinobi I have ever met. You obviously forgot to train them in manners and respect." I knew that saying what I did was only going to cause trouble but I just couldn't help myself. Sometimes it was in my nature to be a bitch, and this was one of those times. I shot Sasuke a detested look and rolled my eyes at the glare he responded with. Men could be so sensitive to a snarky jibe. It was almost funny how I managed to piss both of them off with one sentence.

Kakashi looked up and shrugged, "I'll let you guys talk it out. After all you guys need to learn to work as a team and what better way to start than by talking our your differences." Clearly he wasn't going to be of any help.

"Are you kidding me!? You started this whole thing! You take back what you said right now!" Naruto yelled stepping forward again. He then turned to Sakura and asked, "Where is she from again?"

"She was born in the Village Hidden in the Mist but after that I couldn't tell you. Her file was mostly blacked out but it seems she is somehow related to Orochimaru. And as much as I hate to say this Naruto, Sasuke is right. You were way out of line and all she was doing was protecting herself from you. In a way you dug your own grave." Her tone was soft but serious at the same time, her gaze going from the blonde beside her to me and back again. It seemed that she was trying to be polite to me and at the same time loyal to her friend. This girl was indeed smarter than I gave her credit for.

Naruto then looked to me, his eyes raging as he took a step forward. "So you're involved with that bastard. No wonder I don't like you! You might as well leave the village now because you sure as hell aren't going to have any allies here. You even look like him!" he paused to give another once over before finishing with, "Just looking at you reminds me of that snake and it makes me sick."

My body stilled and my pulse pounded through my veins, making anything aside from my own breathing hard to hear. How dare he say that without even getting to know me first? Talk about assuming. The blonde then straightened his posture and smirked, knowing full well he had just hit a nerve. Assuming he had won, he put in one more barb at me as he turned away, "In fact you don't just look like him, with that long black hair you're the spitting image of him. Go home, you don't belong here."

After the words left his mouth I couldn't hold back the anger that had welled up inside me. Anger; hurt, disappointment, it was all enough to make me want to kill him right then and there. Instead of just blindly lunging at him out of anger though, I decided to play with him a little. A smirk found its way to my face as I disappeared, my trace completely gone. Seconds later I was in front of the light haired idiot, my hand around his throat and my face inches from his as I chose my next words carefully.

"You're right there Naruto, I do look a lot like that bastard, but there are some subtle differences between my father and I." I paused and shoved him into the wall closest to me, his breath leaving him in a _whoosh_ of air. "First off, my eyes are blue, not that ugly as shit yellow-green. Second is that my tongue is not as long as his is," to emphasize my point I leaned closer to him, dragging my tongue up his cheek. He stilled and sucked in a gasp of air. I smirked and backed up to look him in the eyes before I finished, "But I assure you that my instinct to kill far surpasses that miserable excuse for a shinobi; I'd be happy to give you an example of that seeing as how you love to insult people."

I tightened my grip ever so slowly over his throat and he soon began gasping for air. I loosened it almost as quickly as I had tightened my grip, remembering that he was now my teammate and therefore breakable. Yet Tsunade said nothing about scaring him shitless.

After he sucked in a huge breath Sasuke decided it was his turn to step in and help his friend, appearing in my vision with a fist raised. I caught it easily before it could hit me, turning to face the dark haired shinobi with steel in my gaze. Kakashi sighed but remained quiet, his chakra spiking only enough to summon the Hokage to handle the situation. Damn why did he have to bring her into this"? Instead of letting us handle this like shinobi, he was treating us like children

I sighed to myself and pulled Sasuke closer to me, allowing him full view of the curse mark that marred my pale skin. His eyes widened slightly but before he could even make a sound I released Naruto and buried my fist into his sternum. Bone cracked and he screamed as he went flying. In the same swift movement I grabbed Naruto and hurled him after his teammate. They hit the far wall with an audible _thud_, and didn't get up.

"Sasuke, Naruto!" cried the girl as she ran over to them. She checked both for a pulse and when she seemed satisfied she turned to me, anger shining brightly in her eyes. "You didn't have to be so hard on them! You went too far Shiori."

I rolled my eyes and began to stalk toward her, flexing my fingers as I did so. "Anything you'd like to add Sakura? Any insults you deem fit to call me?" I mocked, closing in on her. She glared at me, but I could see the fear just below the surface. She didn't want to confront me but she would if she had to. She was a kunoichi after all and she knew how to fight.

"So you think I was out of line? Don't you think Naruto was out of line then too? He said far worse things than I did. All I did was defend my heritage and feelings. If you didn't want this to happen then maybe you should teach him to think before he speaks. As for Sasuke, he came at me so I took him out. Though you are right, I could have been a little easier on him since he didn't really start this whole thing. He was only trying to defend his friend. Oh well though, nothing I can do about it now."

As I was speaking I could see the girl before me get in a fighting stance, her determination almost admirable had it not been futile. At that same moment Tsunade decided to make herself known, her figure appearing next to Kakashi who was off to the side of us. "Stop Shiori." Was all she said, her posture tensed as she surveyed the scene. I admit it looked bad but she should have expected this. She knew Naruto and what he was capable of. I gave a quick glance in her direction, noticing her hands glowing blue, her posture ready to move should I lunge. I knew that chakra could put me on the floor in an instant and how painful it would be. She was fast and she was strong; she wasn't a sanin for nothing. I knew that if I continued I would live to regret it, but it was like my rage had control of me now. I couldn't think clearly, couldn't see through the red haze that had begun to obscure my vision. Frankly, I didn't want to either, I was having way too much fun.

I simply scoffed and snapped back at her, "Too many people have gotten away with mocking my bloodline, and these three amateurs are going to learn how to show respect real fast, be assured of that." I gave Tsunade one final look, then dismissed her, moving my attention to Sakura.

"Calm down or I will take you out." Tsunade spoke, her voice carrying authority. I gave her another look, wondering if she would actually go through with the threat or if they were just empty words. I decided to test that and dismissed her once again.

"Naruto was right, you don't belong here and you certainly are the spitting image of that bastard. Just leave." Said the girl, her voice low and venomous, her eyes holding nothing but contempt for me.

The anger that I had been holding back finally boiled over and I lunged, not caring what happened after that. I only saw red, only wanted to see red, and only cared about protecting myself. Everyone could go to hell for all I cared. All sound vanished from my senses; all sight except Sakura seemed to fade to black as I closed in.

Someone cursed then before I knew exactly what had hit me, I was on the floor, hands holding my arms and one with a tight grip on my throat. A growl ripped its way up my throat and looked up to see Tsunade above me and Kakashi to the side. Her eyes were angry and sorrowful at the same time as she reached for me with her free hand, the blue glowing brighter with each inch that she got closer. She sighed aloud before her hand rested on my forehead. Pain erupted in my mind, in my soul. It was everywhere and I couldn't hold back the scream that escaped my lips. I fought hard against them both but between the two of them I was pinned. The pain intensified for a second and I screamed again, this time noticing the blackness start to impede my vision. It wouldn't be much longer before I was unconscious.

"I'm sorry…" was the last thing I heard before the darkness claimed me in peaceful, painless nothingness.

**So what did you think?! Please let me know if you liked it, hated it, think I should give up on writing, or continue this story. Reviews are welcome and appreciated. But please don't comment anything if all you have to say is hurtful things. Criticism is accepted but only if you are serious about me continuing the story. Well until next time! :D **

**Ja ne!**

**Dark0angel13**


	2. Chapter 2

Okay guys I'm back with another addition to Looks Can Be Deceiving! I have a review! I'm so happy! Thank you for liking my story and I'm so glad you are enjoying it so far! I'd like to make a special thank you to IxLOVExALOISxTRANCYx who was the first person to give my story a review!

I'm glad I can entertain you and I do hope it will continue on in the future. Please review!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO….T.T

Now on with the story!

**Chapter 2**

The sound of voices woke me from my dreamless slumber, flashes of what happened, flowing into my mind like crisp water. I opened my eyes, pain only beginning to ebb throughout my skull. Surely Tsunade was going to pay for that. My head was killing me. I quietly huffed and was about to sit up when I heard voices from somewhere behind me. It seemed I wasn't alone and that my name was the subject in which they talked. I relaxed again and figured I might as well listen to what they had to say; who knows, maybe they would say something worth hearing.

"…be awake soon. That's really all I can tell you. The file was all the information we had on her as of this point." I recognized the voice to belong to Tsunade, her tone casual.

"But her file didn't contain much information. Most of it was blacked out and even the stuff that wasn't, surely her life can't be that empty. There has to be something else on her somewhere. Have you looked?" Sakura spoke up this time, her voice holding only curiosity and no venom from earlier. Something had changed and whether it was for the better I had no idea but I certainly planned on finding out.

"We have very little on her. Aside from her place of birth and a few details here and there about how she came to be here, it's like she never existed until about five years ago." Tsunade replied curtly and I knew instantly she was lying. Why I didn't know, but for some strange reason she chose not to let them know of my history. "If you would like to know more about her then you would have to ask her yourselves. All I can tell you is that she is nothing like Orochimaru and if you give her a chance she will more than prove that to you. She has been through a lot over the years and I don't think you should judge a book based solely on its cover."

There were a few sighs and I'm pretty sure it was Naruto who spoke next, "Yeah you're right Granny. I was a little mean to her earlier. I was just so mad because she was ignoring me and I let my temper get the better of me. I see now that I treated her the same way that I had been treated by the village since I was little. I'll apologize as soon as she wakes up. Maybe we can start over." His tone held sorrow and guilt, but towards the end it picked up until it sounded almost hopeful. This kid was really something else.

"I will not apologize. She cracked my sternum and almost choked you to death Naruto. Are you going to just sit there and let her get away with that?" Sasuke was up next, his voice hard and detached, "Hard life or not she was out of line and I will be sure to let her know."

"Oh calm down Teme, you're just embarrassed because you got your butt handed to you by a girl. Get off your high horse and learn to forgive a little." Naruto chuckled and I heard slight shifting followed by an angered, "Get the hell off me you Dobe."

"I hate to say this Sasuke but Naruto has a point, you take everything personal and need to learn to forgive and forget. Move on it was in the past. We all need to learn how to function as a team, not be at each other's throat the rest of the time she is with us." Sakura chimed in, coming to the blonde's defense. She had a point but then again so did Sasuke. I could have at least gone a little easier on them; I would have to apologize for that when I decided to let them know I was awake.

"There is no way in hell that she is only a chunin. Her skills are equal to that of Kakashi's caliber, and her reaction time is faster than my own. When you say there is more to her Tsunade, did you forget to mention the fact that it is impossible for her to be chunin?" The Uchiha spoke directing his attention back to me, his eyes burning wholes into my back.

There was a sigh and then the woman spoke, "I was going to let you all know later, once all of this was settled. Keen observations as always Sasuke; no she is not chunin, she is ANBU and she has been pulled from ROOT in order to join Team Kakashi, now that Sai has returned to his solo missions. I figured she would fare better with you guys than Sai did. She is here to complete your team and to help you in any way she can in regards to these upcoming exams. The only people who know of her real rank outside of ROOT are myself and Kakashi. Even the elders do not know her real identity and that's something I'd like to keep a secret if you three don't mind."

"Well if that's the case then you should have been upfront with us from the beginning, instead of leaving that piece of key information out until now." Snapped Sasuke, a scoff clearly evident in his tone as he addressed the Hokage. He had balls, I'd give him that. The only person who talked that way to the Hokage was me; I had never met anyone else who spoke freely around her. Yes Sasuke Uchiha was indeed very peculiar.

"You're right in a sense Sasuke but you have also been hiding something from us. You noticed something before she punched you and you have yet to come forth about it. Is there something you would like to tell us?" Kakashi chimed in, his tone light but in the I-caught-you sort of way.

The shinobi in question sighed and was quiet for a moment before he decided to respond to the older jounin, "When she punched me earlier I saw she had a curse mark."

The room was silent for a moment and no one even dared to breathe. I could feel eyes on me as they all stared into my body as I tried my best to remain still and appear unconscious. I don't even think I took a breath in that moment for fear of being discovered.

"That doesn't make any sense though, if Orochimaru is her father then why would he put the curse seal on his own flesh and blood?" Sakura spoke, confusion and something else evident in her tone. It almost sounded like dread, but I couldn't be sure.

"That we don't know. We've asked her many times but she refused to answer the question, changing the subject instead, so we eventually gave up and assumed that it was too traumatic for her to talk about." The Godaime answered matter-of-factly.

I mentally sighed and contemplated what to do next. After a long moment I figured what the hell, if they're going to be my teammates, I'd have to tell them. After that thought crossed my mind, I sat up and turned to face them. "He did it so he could control me. He didn't like the fact that I disobeyed him and talked back; when I learned to outrun him and dodge his fists, he resorted to the curse mark. Said it would teach me my place." Shock was clear on all of their faces after I finished.

"When did you…" Tsunade trailed off as I smiled.

"Not long ago. Just in time to hear Sasuke mention my curse mark." I replied, repositioning on the couch to get more comfortable. The pain in my head almost non-existent now and the memory of it fading quickly.

"Can I uh…see it?" asked Naruto, curiosity leaking through. He truly did look curious but I was a little skeptical of why he wanted to see it. Was it because Sasuke had one and he wanted to compare them, or were there other reasons to his inquiry? I didn't know the answers to my questions but there was only one way to find out.

"Yeah, sure. I'm surprised Sasuke saw it but I pull on the front of my collar a lot so it's not unusual." I answered bluntly as I pulled the collar of my shirt down to reveal the mark that was in the hollow of my collarbones. It consisted of three tribal style crescent moons all joined at the center, each facing outward.

Each of them took turns staring at it, not sure what to make of the mark on my body. Naruto looked at mine then looked to Sasuke, his face even more confused. Apparently he thought all curse marks were supposed to look the same. He really was an idiot.

"It's not sealed…" said Kakashi, worry draining into his face. He then turned to Tsunade, "How long has she had it? Surely you should have sealed it by now."

The blonde woman sighed and responded almost guiltily, "I can't. We've tried on multiple occasions but each time we tried to seal it, it went out of control and it took at least five ANBU to restrain her. Plus after the third attempt, we decided that we couldn't put her through any more pain. She seems to control it well enough so we leave her be."

It was Sasuke's turn to look surprised as his eyes met mine. I could tell his was sealed only because I didn't feel any power from it. The look on his face said that he was confused as to why mine couldn't be sealed and to be honest, I was right there with him. I mean I knew why it couldn't be sealed, I just didn't know why it was still like that. I had been in this village for five years now, but it still refuses to be sealed.

"Well why can't it be sealed? Surely there has to be a medical book somewhere on this. After all Anko has the mark too. You'd think we would have more information about this seeing as we now have three shinobi with it." Sakura stepped up and looked from the Hokage to Kakashi and back to me. I could tell she was not only angry but worried for me and deep down I couldn't help but thank her silently. It's not often that I came across anyone who actually gave a damn about me.

"It can't be sealed because that would ebb the pain, and he wanted me to scream. "Was all I said in return. She blanched and turned a paler shade of white as she stared me down. I could tell right away that she had a hard time understanding why anyone would do this to their own child. I didn't blame her, in fact I wondered that myself on more than one occasion. I hadn't come up with an answer as of yet though. Her eyes then moved back to my curse mark, before drifting off to my left.

"Hey what's that from?" she asked innocently as she pointed to the scar that began at my left collar bone and disappeared under my shirt. Her fingers reached out and touched me, the warmth radiating from her causing the healed wound to ache with a fire I had thought long gone. It seemed her medical training was coming to the fore because after she touched me, her hand began to glow with the green of a healer.

I stilled immediately and pushed her hand away, "It's nothing." I snapped, covering it up again and kicking myself for ever letting it show. The last thing I needed was sympathy and pity. Plus she would have been wasting her time, the scars that littered my body could never be erased, their memory forever burned into my skin. The pinkett was taken aback by my outburst and all she could do was nod and back up farther, the words 'I'm sorry' all but shining in her eyes.

Tsunade sighed and stood, her posture tensed as she turned to Kakashi and the others. "Kakashi, treat them to some ramen for lunch. Shiori and I have some things to discuss." Was all she said, giving him a stern look in the process.

He looked to her a bit confused at first before he understood why she wanted them all to leave. "Very well." He replied politely as he ushered them out of the room. I met Sasuke's eyes, my own reflecting his curiosity. There was a quick flicker of emotion I couldn't place; it was gone before I could decipher it.

The girl's sympathetic glance turned to a dangerous glare as she saw the exchange. I smiled at the irony because I had no intention of getting attached to anyone. Apparently she believed otherwise, judging by the way she left the room, with Sasuke in tow and a little shocked, and Naruto following behind, a smile of excitement plastered on his face. Kakashi gave me one final look, and then disappeared through the doorway. It was just Tsunade and I now.

The room was silent, the blonde debating over something as she knelt down in front of me, her eyes calculating. "May I see it?" she asked her voice gentle. Knowing I wasn't going to hear the end of it until I showed her, I nodded and took off my shirt, revealing the long jagged scar that stretched from my left collarbone to my right pelvic bone. It was shallow and just barely visible on my stomach but when it picked up again just above my hip, it looked fierce. Just one of many scars to mare my body.

"You've already seen it Tsunade. It hasn't changed in five years." I said calmly as I heard her sharp intake of breath. Her eyes roamed me, almost probing as she took into her mind each and every mark I bore. She was silent for a long moment before she took a step forward.

"So it is the same one. I don't recall it being that long but then again there was a lot of blood that night." She answered casually, like me almost dying from blood loss is normal. I knew she was trying to keep the conversation light to further spare me of the dread that my body reminded me of. Part of me wanted to thank her for being so considerate of my feelings but another part, a darker part of me, wished she would stop treating me like I would shatter to pieces if she so much as touched me. "And they still won't heal?" she asked the question as she approached me, her hands glowing a familiar green as she placed them at my shoulder and my hip. Dull pain began where her touch rested, but it was easy to ignore. We stood there for about five minutes before she pulled away and sighed, answering her own question. No, my scars could never be erased, nor my memories, my pain, and my fears.

I nodded to agree with her, the look on her eyes saying what she couldn't bring her lips to do. I was broken and there was no repairing that. I sighed and turns around, facing the city of Konoha with squared shoulders and a determined look about my face. Before me buildings stood tall and sturdy, beyond that the forests dark with mystery. People walked around down on the streets, going about their daily lives; completely oblivious to the horrors that lurked just beneath the surface, waiting for the opportunity to strike. How I envied them, how I wished I could have been born to a normal family with normal habits and a normal past. How I wished I could go back in time and rewrite my sad excuse for a life. But that could not be done and the realization of that had me slouching in what almost felt like defeat.

Behind me I could feel Tsunade tense and I could see her shocked expression through the reflection in the window. She obviously didn't remember all the scars I had on my back. It didn't surprise me, after all she was the Hokage and had been since I first came to this village; she had much too much to focus on and she didn't need to be wasting her time memorizing every scar on my form. Part of me was upset though. This woman was supposed to be like a mother to me, so seeing her reaction to scars she had already seen but clearly didn't remember, hurt a little.

"Hey Tsunade…" I started but trailed off, my mind buzzing.

"What it is?" she asked concern in her eyes.

"What exactly did you tell them? I mean what is in my file?" I met her eyes as silence engulfed the room.

"I told them your family had been slaughtered and of how we found you. Your file didn't mention anything about that and I felt that in order to get to know you better they had to understand a little of what had happened. I didn't go into detail because I figured you would want to be the one to explain further."

"I see. And that's all you said? You didn't explain anything more than that?" she knew I was talking about my scars and history, but she remained silent. I could see her shake her head through the reflection in the window.

"That is a trip down memory lane only you can take them on." She said quietly coming to stand beside me, her presence almost calming and protective at the same time. I knew she was right; I had to be the one to explain myself, no one else could be me except me. I just didn't want to think about that. I didn't want to relive each memory as I gave them my life's history.

"Do you remember the last time you last time you wanted me to talk about it?" I asked simply, not trying to sound doubtful even though I was. I wasn't sure if would be able to do it, to tell them everything and keep no secrets. Hell I wasn't even sure if they would be tough enough to sit through the whole story. After all it was a long and sad one.

"Yeah, it was like pulling teeth…" she chuckled a little bit and looked down at me, her smile just barely reaching her eyes. I nodded in agreement as my mind relaxed and my body tensed as I was brought back to the past.

Well that is chapter two! Yes cliff hanger! Well I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please review because seeing I have followers or a review only makes my confidence sky rocket

I'm so glad you all like it so far and I will be more than happy to keep posting chapters. Be warned though, the next chapter up will be sad and angering at the same time. Remember what I said…this is rated M for a reason.

Well until next time! :D

Ja ne!

Dark0angel13


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Wow…..three chapters in two days. My brain hurts lol….Okay well as promised here is the next chapter! It took me a while to get this right, changing and editing till the early hours of the morning. But I think I finally got it right: D but be warned this is not a chapter for the feint hearted. Symptoms may include: aggression, anger, sadness, sympathy, etc…

But regardless, please enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Oh just to let all my readers know, I have a very important EMT exam this week so any update will have to be after friday. Please bear with me here the next chapter should be up soon.

Once again I do not own Naruto…. T.T

_**Five Years Earlier**_

Why did I hurt so much? Why couldn't I move and what exactly had happened to me? My mind was thrumming with thoughts and questions as I came to, my eyes opening sluggishly and a pained moan escaping my lips. Then once I laid eyes on Tsunade, memories came rushing back to me. I gasped, only because my body would not allow the scream to come up. I began breathing hard as I tried to move, to get away and hide. Pain erupted everywhere and tears began to well in my eyes before a hand pressed down on my shoulder, gently laying me back down. Hazel eyes filled with empathy soon filled my vision and a soft voice tried to comfort me, "Shhh, just relax Shiori you're alright now."

I looked to the Hokage and managed a quick, curt nod, my mind still not fully wanting to believe her. In moments my heart rate had calmed to only minor heart attack and my breathing seemed to even out somewhat. I blinked a couple of times; trying to test myself and make sure I was really where I thought I was. Soon enough after the third time I looked around to see white everywhere. The sheets, the walls, the monitors that filled the small hospital room. Everything was white, even the gown that covered my body was pale as snow. Standing around my bed was Tsunade, Anko, Ibiki, and a man whom I didn't recognize. He had long blonde hair pulled into a tight pony tail and eyes as blue as the sky. I didn't know him but he seemed familiar somehow.

"How do you feel?" Tsunade spoke, voice soft as she felt my forehead and checked my vitals. Her hands were soft and careful as she made sure everything was in working order; her eyes sympathetic and angry at the same time. Why was she angry? I didn't do anything, or at least I couldn't remember doing anything to upset her. In fact there was very little I could remember. Why I was here, where I had come from and why I hurt so much. The flashes from before had disappeared and it was almost as if they never happened. What was going on?

"I-I don't know…I can't remember anything. Where am I?" I managed to say, my voice cracking from the lack of use. Talking hurt, breathing hurt, even the slightest movement hurt me.

She offered me a small smile before responding, "I'm not surprised you can't remember anything sweetie, you went through quite a lot before we found you. You're in Konoha and have been in the hospital for about three weeks now. This is the first time you've woken up since the incident." The hand that was on my shoulder moved to stroke my head in comfort as I nodded in understanding. Whatever it was that happened to me must have been serious if I had been here this long and just now waking up.

"What happened to me Tsunade? Why can't I breathe without pain? Why can't I move? What incident are you talking about?" I looked to her, my eyes watering as another wave of images flashed through my mind. My vision lost focus and I couldn't help the sudden intake of breath. It was a blur and it was fast, almost too fast for me to decipher. What was going on?

"That's what I was going to ask you Ms. Kimasawa. Do you not remember anything that happened?" The blonde hair man spoke, causing me to look in his direction.

The movement hurt but I ignored it as I shook my head to answer his question, "No sir, I don't remember anything. I see flashes every few minutes but nothing that stays long enough to form a memory. I'm sorry."

He sighed and offered a small smile, "I see, there is no need to apologize, having memory loss is normal in your case." He paused to walk up to me, his hand outstretched. He wore a grey shirt and black pants; black boots that went to about mid shin. His headband was resting comfortably on his forehead and the jacket he wore matched Ibiki's in every way. If I had to manage a guess I would have said he was Intel. He didn't look threatening but the way he moved towards me had me slinking back as far as I could go, my body beginning to tremble.

He stopped almost immediately and raised his hands to show me he meant no harm, the smile he wore growing slightly. I held on to Tsunade's robe tightly as he spoke, "I'm not here to hurt you Shiori; I'm going to try to help you regain your memory is all. It won't hurt I promise." He proceeded to step closer, his movements slow and measured, not wanting to come off as dangerous. He was a cautious man indeed.

I nodded and appreciated his trying to help me. Not many people offered that. When he was right next to Tsunade, he placed his hand on my head so his palm was covering my eyes. It was warm and sturdy as he sat next to me on the bed. "Now keep your eyes closed and try to relax. I'm going to help you remember what happened and I know some of the things will be scary but you have to be strong alright?" His voice was soft and his words kind. I nodded in response and managed a deep breath, wincing at the end of it.

The hand on my head started to push me gently, and moments later I was on my back again, my vision dark and my body sore. "Now I'm going to put you in a trance of sorts Shiori, so you will be able to see what happened in your mind and talk me through it. All will be written down for record and you will be free to relax and heal after. Is that okay?"

I stiffened a bit at the mention of seeing what had happened. I was scared and I didn't want to know. If I couldn't remember then I thought it was for a reason. I was more than happy to leave it that way, but the man was right, I was a shinobi and this needed to be done. "Y-yes." I managed to say, my voice shaking a bit.

"Alright then I'll begin. Please try to remain relaxed through this and know we are all here to comfort you should you need it. Shinobi or not you are still a little kid and we will help in any way that we can." He said before his hand started to heat up and my head began to tingle. It didn't hurt; in fact I couldn't feel anything anymore. My pain was gone, my fear was gone. The blackness that was my mind began to brighten until I could clearly see him within my head. "My name is Inoichi Yamanaka; I'm with the Konoha Interrogation Unit. I'm here to ask you some questions." His voice was gentle, yet at the same time full of strength and power.

"Okay." I replied automatically, my voice no longer cracked or painful. It seemed that whatever he was doing ebbed the pain so I could respond as comfortable as possible; for that I was thankful.

Somewhere outside my mind I heard a feminine voice that sounded like Anko, her tone worried as she asked why they needed to this now. I knew she was just looking out for me and part of me wanted to thank her but as soon as I heard her voice I became vaguely aware of pain returning. I whimpered a little and before I knew it, the heat in Inoichi's hand intensified and the pain was soon gone.

All outside noise was drowned out until all I could hear was him. "I need to keep you in the trance so you do not become uncomfortable so please try to focus only on me."

"Okay." I responded before he smiled and then before me came the image of myself. I was normal, uninjured and running, training most likely. My eyes were focused but I could see a smirk on my face as I dodged an incoming kunai. I may have hated being there but I had to admit I love training more than anything. It allowed me to be free, for just that little moment in time I was alive. I soared higher than I thought possible, and when I countered flawlessly, my heart raced with adrenaline. It was enough to bring a smile to my face even then.

"Please tell me your name, the village you came from, and your age please."

"Shiori Kimasawa. I'm thirteen years old and I was born in the Village hidden in the Mist." My tone was dragging, almost dazed as I responded. It was almost like I couldn't say anything other to answer his questions; like my mind was acting of its own accord. Part of me wondered why but the other part of me was grateful because then that meant this would be over sooner rather than later.

"Good, now can you tell me the last time you saw your mother?"

As soon as he asked the question an image of her floated through my mind. She had startlingly red hair that stopped just passed her shoulders and violet eyes that held all the love her smile showed. She was thin but in shape, being a shinobi herself. She wore black pants and a white shirt with the mist flak jacket; her ANBU mask sitting on the top of her head, its cat features making her seem more graceful as she held out her hands. She was beautiful and strong and the kindest person I had ever known in my life. Knowing she was now dead was enough to bring me to the brink of tears.

"She had just gotten back from a mission…she was smiling at me."

"Okay, now this was about three weeks ago so I need to know where you were when you saw her."

Before me her image faded, replaced by ornate buildings and interlocking crescent moons. Of thick walls and immaculate interior; immeasurable space as well as secluded privacy. Yes my home was indeed beautiful, even if the reason I was brought back was anything but innocent.

"The Kimasawa compound…where we stayed after I was taken."

"Good. You're doing great Shiori. Now I need you to tell me who was there with you at the compound."

My body tensed as the house vanished and before me the faces of many people. Long black hair, golden snake eyes. Silver hair tied up in a ponytail, and glasses that rested on a face that held a hunger I was scared to think about. Different men with sound headbands and glares on their faces. The henchmen who were hired to defend our hideout.

"Orochimaru…Kabuto…men I don't know. Henchmen probably…"

"Okay now I need you to tell me if you had the curse mark before or after you were taken there." The man's voice remained calm and comforting as his form shimmered before me, just barely visible.

As his question ran through my mind, I briefly wondered why he would need to ask a question like that. But my mind was acting on its own and I couldn't control it. Images of that day flooded over me. I saw myself writhing on the floor, blood dripping from the two puncture wounds between my collar bones; screaming and crying as he walked away from me. The mark was painful and had been ever since. Before he disappeared, my father turned around and said that this would teach me to behave.

"Before…when I was seven…before I ran away the first time."

"Good, good. Now can you tell me the reason for the curse mark?"

"Teach me my place…punishment."

"Okay thank you. Where did you stay during your imprisonment? Were you in a cell?"

The video stopped and before me was the view of my room. No windows, a single bed and dresser; nothing else aside from a small bathroom off to the right.

"Room. No windows…locked all the time. No way out."

"When were you allowed out?"

Images of food and training flashed before my subconscious. I voiced as much, my voice still calm and stutter free.

"Do you know why you were forced to train?"

Haze engulfed me at his question, sight was obscured and noise almost non-existent. "No…didn't specify why. Only that I had to be strong…ready to be what he needed me for…"

Inoichi's form solidified momentarily and he shook his head, knowing that I honestly had no idea. He offered a smile and said, "Now I have to ask you some obvious questions for the record, I hope you understand."

"Yes."

"Who are your parents? Can you give me their names?"

"Misaki Kimasawa…Orochimaru…"

"Okay and where does Kabuto come into play in all of this? Where does he stand?"

Kabuto's face flashed through my mind and for a second my heart stopped and I couldn't control the shudder of fear that ran through me. My breathing quickened and the pain was slowly starting to come back. There was a grunt and soon the heat of Inoichi's hand was all I could feel.

"It's okay, calm down. He's not really here, that's just a memory Shiori. Please try to answer the question. I don't want to keep you like any longer than I have to."

My pulse slowed and my breathing evened out before I spoke, my voice only a little shaky, "Dad's right hand man…no other relation…"

"Were you treated well while you were there Ms. Kimasawa?"

Flashes of short smiles and small laughs filled my vision. Mostly with my mother, but on the rare occasion my father was involved as well. It seemed the older I got the worse they treated me.

"Did a lot to me…never tried to kill me…was treated well for the most part."

"What did they do to you Shiori?"

Flashes of pain and beatings; nights lived with no food or water. I voiced as much as my muscles tensed slightly.

"Okay you're doing very well. But I'm afraid I have to get to the point now. So will you please tell me what happened on the night of November fifteenth of this year?"

Immediately my mind was flooded with memories I thought I could never remember. I could hear everything; feel everything again even if it was muffled. I whimpered as the movie played through my mind. My form began to shake, the pain making its way back to my consciousness. I didn't want to relive this. Didn't want to know what I went through the first time. I was more than happy with forgetting it ever happened in the first place. But the scars that marked me both physically and mentally would surely never allow that to happen.

"No…"

Warmth radiated through me and soon the blonde man was there, in my vision, holding my shoulders, his voice kind, "You can do this, stay strong and it will all be over soon."

I nodded and tried my best to watch carefully to what exactly had happened that night. I watched myself as I woke up like I did every morning, and headed to training. It was light, not as bad as it usually was and I was confused. Something felt wrong but I couldn't place it.

"Normal day…training then food…something felt off."

"What felt off Shiori?"

Images of Orochimaru and Kabuto floated into my mind. Smirks and toothy grins. They had a secret and I had no idea what it was regarding. Mother was nowhere to be found and I started to get a little worried. She was always here; she was a prisoner just as much as I was.

"Atmosphere was hostile…grins…secrets…mother was gone…couldn't find her."

The images faded to black as afternoon training took over. "Training again later…" I stopped as I watched what had happened. Kabuto's touches lingered, his body closer to mine that it usually was. He was in my personal space on more than one occasion. Why? He was older than me by two years, what would he want with me?

"Why...why was he so close to me…?"

"Why was who so close to you Shiori?"

I watched as he grabbed my waist, his eyes gleaming with a desire I had only read about in training. I stilled as what followed next horrified me. I watched as Kabuto ripped off my clothes, one garment at a time as he held me to the ground, the night covering our silhouettes as if we weren't there. I heard myself scream stop and try to push him away. I watched as I managed to get free, getting a low hit in on his groin. I heard him grunt and I was gone, sprinting as fast as I could to find my mom. If I wasn't strong enough she surely was. I ran and ran until I came around the back of the compound before something hit me from the side. I yelped and went down hard on my back, my breath leaving in a whoosh of air.

Kabuto chuckled as he proceeded to pin me again, this time careful to not let me a hit in. His smirk only inches from my face when he told me I shouldn't have done that. He said he was trying to keep it a secret but it seemed I had run to where my mother was. I watched myself scream for her, thrashing wildly for help when he began to laugh and he turned his head to the right. I followed his gaze to find my mother. I couldn't speak I couldn't breathe, I couldn't even move anymore as tears welled up in my eyes. She was dead, had been for some time by the looks of it. There was a lot of blood but I could see how she died. There was a massive hole through her chest, where her heart used to be. My past self finally found her voice and began screaming for the dead woman. It broke my heart all over again to have to watch it.

"Mom…." I whimpered, tears slowly beginning to fall down my face.

"What about your mom Shiori? Did you find her?"

"Yeah….dead…they killed her…hole through her chest." I mumbled as the heat kicked up another notch so as to keep me comfortable.

The movie within my mind continued as I then watched what little clothes I had on, get torn the rest of the way off. He was laughing as he brought his lips down in a painful kiss, his hands roaming roughly over my now bare body. He was everywhere at once, above me, around me, filling my senses with only him. It was sickening. My past self screamed for him to stop and get off her but he did no such thing, in fact the opposite really, grabbing anything he could get his hands on. My neck, my arms, my breasts, my legs; everywhere he touched and everywhere he left bruises.

"Stop…" I cried out, trying to force the images away from my mind. But no matter how hard I tried, they were there and they weren't going anywhere.

"Shiori who needs to stop? You need to talk to me sweetie."

"Kabuto…on top of me…he won't stop…it hurts…" I couldn't continue after that as the memories eradicated any sense of safety I had been feeling. I watched as he pulled away from the kiss, one of his hands covering my mouth as he chuckled before thrusting into my small body. I watched as I jerked and thrashed but nothing worked. He was too strong. I screamed, both in my own head and out loud.

The image began to blur and for a second I didn't understand why, but soon I felt my mind getting hazier and hazier. I was crying and shaking, my pulse racing so fast I was worried I would have a heart attack right then and there. I soon felt hands on me, holding me in place as another was added to my head, this time at the back as my head was turned to the side. I wished I was dead then, my only wish was to be free of this pain and floating in the spirit realm along with my mother. I would have begged for it if I knew one of them would grant it. But I knew better; everyone in the room cared for me too much to even think about granting a wish like that. Pain was everywhere, in my mind, my body, my soul. Pain so strong it was amazing I wasn't dead already. My arms, my legs, my chest and abdomen were alight with the flames of agony as it quickly spread to every nerve ending in my body and I screamed again.

Following the pain were voices as they found their way back into my consciousness, "What the hell is going on?!" shock from someone on my right. Tsunade had to be my guess since it was the closest to me.

"I don't know it seems like the memories caused her to come out of the trance. This has never happened before. Help me hold her down so I can get it back under control." Confusion from someone in front of me; most likely Inoichi since it felt as though he was shielding my body with his own, his hand still on my forehead.

"Did Kabuto…did he do what I think he did to her?" seething fury evident in the tone I matched as Anko's off to my far left. It almost sounded like disgust if I were to manage a guess.

"I don't know I have to get her back under control before I can answer that question." Was the last thing I heard as the heat amped up and I was once again lost in my subconscious. The outside world faded into black again until all I saw was Inoichi's figure in my mind once more. The pain was there, this time, the heat not able to fully get rid of it. The memories flashed by with no sound this time; I felt like I was floating in midair as his voice resounded throughout my mind. "Shiori I just need a yes or no answer from you alright? You've done a very good job thus far so please just bear with me a little longer."

The voice was calm, even, and comforting once more and I nodded, my haze preventing me from answering right away. This didn't feel real, my thoughts rushed by in a blur and my pain was just on the outreaches of my mind. I felt like I was in a bad dream. Though I guess I was since I was now reliving everything that had happened to cause me to be in the hospital for three weeks.

"Did he rape you Shiori?"

"Yes…" was all I could manage to say, my voice scratchy and shaking as the images once again flashed through my mind. It seemed like they were highlights as they flew by, staying only long enough to let the reality of it sink in before disappearing completely.

"I see, and after that, did he leave?"

"Yes…"

"Did you try to get away? To escape?"

I saw myself running, crying and running away trying to hold what was left of my clothes on at the same time.

"Yes…" when I answered I felt as though it wasn't really me replying, but my subconscious instead. It was automatic, robotic almost.

"And what happened next?"

An explosion appeared before me while I watched myself run. I was flung to the ground, smashing through tress before I slid to a stop. Pain was everywhere and it took all I had to not pass out. I managed to stumble to my feet before a mass of kunai hit me. they sunk into my skin and sliced away like I was butter.

I watched myself fall to the floor again, gashes and deep wounds everywhere before Kabuto grabbed me by the hair and pushed me onto my back, a kunai held in his hand just above my heart. I couldn't breathe as he smiled down at me, slowly moving the kunai to my left shoulder before plunging it into my skin.

I cringed as I watched it happen, watched myself scream as the blade was dragged down to my right hip bone before the silver haired ninja removed it from my body.

"I ran…explosion threw me…Kabuto came back…sharp kunai…pain everywhere. He attacked…so much blood."

After that I watched as my body crumpled to the floor, my vision becoming unfocussed as I started to pass out because of the massive blood loss. Kabuto laughed aloud before standing and turning away saying how enjoyed every minute of it and if I survived how he would do it all again in a heartbeat. I watched as tears rushed down my face but looked over to the far end of my vision to see a figure appear. I watched as I looked around, and saw as a black wolf makes its way closer to me. If I could have screamed I would have, but my voice was lodged somewhere in my throat. My body was shaking as thoughts rushed through my mind. Of how I would die here and no one would be the wiser as to what happened.

The wolf was quiet as it approached but it didn't look dangerous, in fact I could almost see the sorrow in its eyes as it looked at all the blood. I watched myself stiffen as it rubbed against me, giving a soft kick to my cheek before turning and jumping at the silver haired man who was walking away. The wolf hit him square in the back, causing him to lose balance as it dug its teeth into his shoulder. He screamed and thrashed but couldn't lift the beast off him.

The past me was just barely conscious and fading fast, head rising and falling, trying to stay awake. The wolf whined and brought me back to reality and I looked up to see it looking back at me when I heard the voice in my mind, 'Shiori run! Get away from here! Head south, there are leaf shinobi on their way!' the voice was soft but I couldn't tell if it was male or female, or if I had even heard it at all. Part of me thought I was finally slipping away but I pushed myself to nod and began to crawl, blood pooling under me with each movement.

"Shiori talk to me, I need to know what happened next."

"Started to pass out…wolf came…tackled Kabuto, biting him…told me to get away…that leaf shinobi were close…"

"And that's when we found you?"

Images of Anko, Tsunade, and a few others I couldn't place, raced through my mind and I only nodded as the memories slowly faded to black and I was left in nothingness.

"Thank you Shiori you have been an amazing help to us. Rest assured you are safe here and nothing is going to hurt you now." The man's voice came fluttering though the darkness as the heat began to fade, slowly being replaced by pain and agony.

I whimpered before I felt the familiar stick of a needle in my arm; soon after that my vision blurred and my hearing began to fade. I only managed to get bits and pieces of information before I blacked out. My family was dead. All of them, and I was the only one left alive.

I stifled a muffled cry before Tsunade invaded my vision, her expression comforting and loving. "Go to sleep Shiori it's over now. I'll be here when you wake up. And I'm sorry you had to endure all of that at such a young age-" she continued to speak but I could no longer hear her. My vision blacked out and my awareness seemed to leave me. I felt my entire body slump in relaxation as I let the blackness finally take over and lead me into sweet nothingness.

So…what did you think? Please review! I love seeing when I have a review and I get to see what you think of my story. I try to make all my readers happy and by seeing that you all like it makes me want to keep going: D review review review!

Well until next time…Ja ne!

Dark0angel13


	4. Author's Note

Hi guys! Dark0angel13 here and just wanting to share some news with you all. First I would like to say how much I enjoy writing this and how I love when I see you all like it so far. It brings me immense joy to know that what I love to do can make others happy as well.

Also just to clarify, this takes place after Sasuke left in the AU type of thing. I figured I would have Sasuke back and all that but I didn't want to add the war….too much to keep up with when all I want to do is have fun with this story. The way I planned it was that Sasuke received the curse mark but in the end decided to stay in Konoha (I know I know it doesn't really match his personality but hey I figured it would be a nice change of pace seeing as most stories include him leaving.) Also the war never happened and the only reason I brought Sai in all this was to show the progression of time and how they had all grown up. Sai had taken Sasuke's spot while he was away on an A-ranked mission for a few months so that is why I mentioned him. I hope it didn't confuse anyone. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have regarding this story, I will be happy to answer any of them.

Now I know I said I would update again probably around Friday…well I've got some slightly bad news...I forgot I was going to a massive concert and unfortunately will not have the time to update. I am so sorry I completely spaced on that. T.T BUT….I have chapter four written I just need to make some final edits and ensure all is perfect so the wait won't be too horribly long. Again I apologize in advance, if there is one thing I hate, it is not being able to keep my promises to my readers.

On a slightly brighter note I passed my EMT exams! Yay! Now I just have to pass the rest of them and then I can move onto Paramedic! I'm super excited for this and can't wait to get out there and start saving lives!

Oh also on a serious note, this story will definitely get finished but it may take longer than expected. I am currently writing a novel to be published and I need to focus on that as well. BUT that doesn't mean I will stop my story! I started it and I am going to finish it because I want you all to know how it ends! I hope you all can deal with the slight wait for chapter four but I can assure you I will have it up within a week! I promise!

Again thank you for your interest in this story and your reviews, they are greatly appreciated and much asked for! Please pass this story on to your friends! :D

Well until next time peeps!

Ja ne

Dark0angel13


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